Facebook pages allow businesses, organizations, and public figures to create an official presence on Facebook. Having a Facebook page is a great way to connect with customers and fans, share content, promote products or services, and build your brand. Signing up for a Facebook page is free and easy to do. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a Facebook page from start to finish.
Should I Use a Personal Profile or Create a Page?
Before creating a Facebook page, it’s important to understand the difference between personal Facebook profiles and pages. While you can promote your business or organization from a personal profile, Facebook recommends creating a separate page for official presences.
Here are some key differences between personal profiles and pages:
- Profiles are for individual people, pages are for businesses/organizations/brands
- Pages have more customization options like adding apps, creating tabs, and detailed analytics
- You can convert a profile to a page, but not vice versa
- Pages can be managed by multiple admins, profiles just have one account holder
- Pages have unlimited fans/followers, profiles have a 5,000 friend limit
In most cases, creating a dedicated Facebook page makes the most sense if you want to establish an official presence on behalf of a business, brand, organization, or public figure.
Step 1: Create a Facebook Account
In order to create a Facebook page, you first need to have a personal Facebook account. If you don’t already have one, visit Facebook.com and click on “Create New Account” to set up your personal profile.
Use a real name that you go by in everyday life and be sure to provide your real date of birth. Facebook requires users to provide their authentic identity.
Step 2: Go to the Facebook Pages Creation Page
Once you have a personal Facebook profile, you can create a page. To get started, go to facebook.com/pages/create. This is the official page creation portal for Facebook pages.
Step 3: Select Your Page Category
Facebook will now ask you to choose a category that best describes your page. The main options are:
- Business or brand
- Company, organization or institution
- Artist, band or public figure
- Entertainment
- Cause or community
Select the category that fits your needs. Most businesses would choose “Business or brand” while nonprofits and charities may opt for “Cause or community”.
Step 4: Enter Your Page Name and Other Details
After selecting a category, you can enter your page name, select a profile picture and cover photo, and provide some additional details:
- Page name – This will be the name that shows up as your Facebook page title
- Profile picture – The small profile image displayed next to your page name
- Cover photo – The large background header photo at the top of your page
- Description – A short description of your business or organization
- Category – You can specify a sub-category here for more detail
The profile and cover images help brand your page, so choose visually appealing photos relevant to your business or organization if possible. Write a clear, concise description to give visitors an overview of what your page represents.
Step 5: Agree to Facebook’s Terms
Before your page can be created, you need to agree to Facebook’s terms for pages. Read over the terms and policies, and check the boxes confirming you agree.
Step 6: Choose a Visibility
You now can select whether you want your page to be publicly visible, or unpublished while you set it up:
- Public page – Anyone will be able to find and view your page as soon as it’s created.
- Unpublished page – The page will not be visible to the public until you manually publish it later.
If your page is ready to launch, choose public. If you need time to finalize the design and content, pick unpublished.
Step 7: Verify Your Account
To help prevent fake pages, Facebook will require you to verify your account when creating a page for the first time. There are two options:
- Confirm your account via mobile phone – Facebook will send a confirmation code to your phone to enter.
- Confirm your account via government ID – Upload an image of your government ID (driver’s license, passport, etc) which will be verified by Facebook.
Provide the requested verification based on the options given on your screen. Verifying your identity is an important step to secure your new Facebook page.
Step 8: Add Admins
Your page is now created! On the next screen, you can add additional admins who can help manage your page.
Start typing the name of other Facebook friends or coworkers you want to make admins. This gives them access to post content, moderate comments, view analytics, and manage overall page functions.
Step 9: Set Up Your Page
After adding admins, the page creation process is complete. You’ll be taken to your new Facebook page’s wall, where you can start customizing everything.
Here are some tips for setting up and optimizing your new page:
- Add a profile picture and cover photo if you haven’t already
- Write an “About” section with a description of your business
- Go to Settings to customize your page URL, notifications, messaging, and more
- Create posts with content like photos, videos, events, products, and more
- Enable visitor posts so fans can post on your wall
- Add apps like menus, contact forms, special offers, maps, and calendars
- Create tabs to highlight important information like your website, contact info, and operating hours
Spend time filling out your page’s key details so visitors immediately understand what your business or organization is about.
Step 10: Invite Friends to Like Your Page
To start building an audience, invite friends from your personal Facebook profile to like your new page. Click “Invite Friends” on your page’s admin panel to select friends to invite.
Spread the word organically by sharing your page on your own social media profiles. Post an announcement letting people know you’re on Facebook and encourage them to follow you.
Step 11: Promote Your Facebook Page
In addition to inviting friends, there are other ways to promote your new Facebook page and grow your audience:
- Engage with your audience by posting regularly, hosting contests, and responding to comments
- Run Facebook ads targeting your ideal audience
- Promote your page on your website, emails, other social channels, packaging, storefront, etc
- Partner with influencers or other businesses to do cross-promotions
- Analyze your analytics to optimize your content and strategy
Use a mix of organic and paid tactics to build your community. Focus on quality engagement over quantity of fans.
Tips for Facebook Page Success
Here are some additional tips for creating an effective Facebook presence once your page is up and running:
- Post engaging content 1-2 times per day, including photos, videos, links, questions, events, etc
- Respond promptly to all messages and comments
- Create a consistent brand voice that fits your business or organization
- Use analytics to determine your top-performing post types and engagement times
- Run occasional contests or giveaways to grow your audience
- Advertise strategically using page likes, website conversions, or traffic objectives
Stay active in managing your page, post quality content, and engage your audience. This will lead to the best results from your Facebook presence!
Conclusion
Creating a Facebook page is easy, fast, and free. All you need is a personal Facebook profile to get started. Choose an appropriate page category and details, verify your account, set up admins, and complete the initial page customization. Then start inviting friends, posting content, and promoting your page to build your audience. Use analytics to refine your approach. With regular engagement, you can establish an influential Facebook presence that connects with your followers!